Air cleaner



Patented May 23, 1950 AIR CLEANER Konrad F. Schreier, Lake Forest, and Ben Bartolucci, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 25, 1946-, Serial No'. 712,078

2 Claims.

The invention relates to devices for cleaning gases and vapors to remove dust and other foreign particles from the same and has reference in particular to a cleaning device of improved design which will operate in an efficient manner to clean gases and vapors by the drywet method and which will have an increased capacity over that of prior structures.

Heretofore a major defectin devices forv cleaning gases and vapors such as air, for example, by the dry-wet method, has been a lack of directional control of the air during the cleaning operation and also inability of the devices to shatter or break up the air bubbles while percolating through the cleaning liquid. As a result the necessary contact of the air for cleaning purposes did not take place and therefore theoretical results were generally not secured in practice.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a device which will subject the gases or vapors undergoing treatment to proper directional control for shattering or breaking up the bubbles in the cleaning liquid. whereby to subject said gases to thorough Washing for more eifective cleaning.

Another and more specific object of the invention residesV in the provision of a device for cleaning gases and vapors such as air, for eX- ample, by causing the air to percolate through a cleaning liquid under directional control for purposes as hereinabove described and which will then subject the cleaned air to an agitator of novel design for agitating the air in a controlled manner for removing any liquid which may be entrained therewith.

The present cleaning device employs vane as'- semblies such as. described and claimed in our copending application Serial No. 671,048, iiled May 20, 1946, and entitled Fractionating column or the like. The said vane assemblies are formed to provide a plurality of fluid directing surfaces and are so disposed as to cause. the gasesV or vapors coming in contact therewith to flow in a tortuous and circuitous path centrifuga-Hy into the outer peripheral regions of the assembly. One or more vane assemblies are immersed in the cleaning liquid of the present device to provide for directional control of the gases and vapors as they percolate through the liquid and said vanes as a result of their directing surfaces additionally function to effectively break up and shatter the gas bubbles during flow through the liquid to thus improve the cleansing effect since the gases in a more finely subdivided condition are brought into intimate contact with the cleaning liquid. One or more of said vane assemblies are also used for the agitator which is caused to agitate the gases following the liquid cleaning operation to effect removal of any liquid en.- trained with said gases.

In view of the foregoing, a further objectl of the invention resides inI the provision of ar gas or vapor cleansing device employing vane assemblies as hereinabove described, certainV of which are immersed in the cleaning liquid and wherein at least one vane assembly is disposed above the cleaning liquid and mounted for rotation to produce a controlled turbulence of the liquid-cleaned gases to effect a drying of the sam'e by removing entrained moisture.

Another object of the invention is to provider a cleaning device employing one or more vane as.- sembliesk immersed in the cleaning liquid and wherein the vanes of said assemblies are so constructed and. arranged as to breakup and shatter the bubbles as they percolate through the liquid and to simultaneously give said bubbles a positive centrifugal motion in theliquid.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a cleansing device embodying the improvements of the present invention;

Figure 2. is a vertical sectional view through the gas cleaning devicev of Figure 1 illustrating the construction and arrangement of the vane assemblies; Y

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View in perspective to illustrate. the mannerV of positioning a vane.

Referring to the. drawings, the embodiment selected for illustrating the present cleaning device essentially consists of a base identified by numeral I!! and which supports an outer cylindrical memberv Il of glass, metal or other suitable material, it being understood that the member I'l will have a liquid-tight seal with base I0 to provide a container for the cleaning liquid such asf oilV or the like. A plurality of securing; bolts l2 are xedly securedl tothe base as at I3', being located exteriorly of member ll, in spacedi relation around the same and extending some distance above the top edge of the member. At said upper ends the securing bolts are threaded as at I4. The bolts retain a plate member l5 by means of the threaded nuts |6 and which are threaded to portions I4 of the bolts. As the result of this construction the outer cylindrical member is flxedly secured to base I 0, being confined between the base and the plate member I5. The chamber, identified by numeral I1, thus provided by the cylindrical member Il in combination with base I is adapted to contain cleaning liquid and in accordance with the invention said chamber is partitioned by means which will be presently described to form an inner central chamber and an outer peripheral chamber. The vane assemblies previously mentioned have location within the inner central chamber for purposes. which will be clearly understood as the description proceeds.

The plate member l is provided with a plurality of arcuate openings I8, Figure 3, which admit atmospheric air or other gas to be cleaned to chamber I1 of the device. A plurality of securing bolts 20 alternate with openings I3, said bolts having threaded ends 2| and which are held to the plate in depending relation by the threaded nuts 22. At their lower ends the bolts 20 are rlxedly secured to a retaining ring 23 and which thus retains in position the inner cylindrical member 24 of metal, glass or other suitable material. As a result of ring 23 member 24 is suitably positioned within member l l, having depending relation with respect to plate member l 5 and the interior of member 24 provides the central chamber 25 which thus has connecting relation with chamber I1, now comprising an outer peripheral chamber. It will be observed that the retaining ring 23 is located above base iB for the express purpose of providing a connecting passageway between said central and peripheral chambers. y

The cover indicated in its entirety by numeral 26 is of substantially cylindrical shape and has a diameter substantially coinciding with that of the inner cylindrical member 24. The cover 26 is suitably secured to plate member i5, as by welding or the like, and said cover in effect forms a continuation of member 24. Both parts may be formed of the same material or of different materials as desired. For example, both members I I and 24 may be formed of glass in order to render the cleaning section of the present device visible to the operator. Cover 26 may be provided with an inspection opening at its top Wall 21 normally closed by the threaded plug 26 and suitable connection is made with cover 26 by means of the outlet conduit 30. The gases or vapors to be cleaned enter the device through the openings I6 and after passing through the same the cleaned gases are discharged from the cover through said conduit 30.

The supporting post 3| extends centrally through member 24, being suitably secured at its lower end to base |0 as at 32. Post 3| therefore has location centrally within chamber 25 and the post functions as supporting means for the vane assemblies, certain of which are immersed in the cleaning liquid, whereas, the other vane assembly 'in the embodiment disclosed is located above the liquid and mounted for rotation to provide the spinner or agitator for the cleaned gases. As shown in the drawings, two vane assemblies identified by numeral 33 are supported in superposed relation by post 3| adjacent the entrance to chamber 25 but it is, of course, understood that the cleaning device of the invention may be provided with any number of such vane assemblies.

Each assembly is identical in construction including a plurality of vanes 34 of similar formation. A supporting plate 35 is suitably fixed to the post 3| and the vanes are secured at their inner top edge to such a plate. The vanes are disposed in depending relation with respect to their supporting plate 35 extending outwardly in edge abutting relation to the inner surface of cylindrical member 24. Each vane is formed to provide two fluid directing surfaces identified by numerals 36 and 31 and which are angularly disposed with respect to one another. It will be observed that surface 36 terminates at the curved outer edge 40 of the vane and which edge 40 is of such radius or curvature as to closely fit the curved surfaces of member 24 when the vane assembly is secured in operative position within said member. It will be observed also that each vane in operative position is so disposed that the upper top edge 4| extends approximately radially in an outward direction from post 3|.

Also each vane of the assembly is so disposed with respect to post 3| that the fluid directing surface 31 is inclined at an angle to the vertical and which thus locates the uid directing surface 36 of each vane at a greater angle to the vertical since the fluid directing surfaces have been described as angularly disposed with respect to each other. Fluid directing surface 36 is of greater areaJ than surface 31 although both may be described as inclined in a radial direction and also in an axial direction. The surfaces merge in a substantially straight line as at 4'2 and which likewise has inclination in both a radial and axial direction, said merging of the surfaces terminating at 43, which point substantially coincides with the corner formed by the edges 40 and 4l. It will be noted thatvadjacent vanes in each assembly overlap to a substantial extent in order to define channel-ways for the passage of vapors and gases as well as liquids.

Whereas the assemblies 33 are xed to post 3|, the Vane assembly 45 is mounted on post 3| for substantially frictionless rotation. Vane assembly 45 is identical in construction to those just described consisting of a plurality of vanes 34 each having two angularly disposed fluid directing smfaces 36 and 31. The inner edge of each vane is suitably secured as by welding to a collar 46, said collar in turn being fixed to the ball bearing member 41 mounted for rotation on post 3l and held in position by threaded sleeve 48. The vanes of assembly 45 are thus mounted for rotation with post 3i as a vertical axis. The vanes are positioned on the bali bearing member 41 with the fluid directing surface 31 being inclined at an angle to the vertical, as clearly evident from an inspection of Figure 4, and which illustrates the manner of assembling the vanes so that the surfaces are inclined both radially and axially as described. The outer edges of each vane of assembly 45 are arcuate, having a radius of curvature so as to closely fit the curved surfaces of'member 24.

Disposed above vane assembly 45 in axially spaced relation thereto is a collar 50 of annular formation, having an outer diameter of a size to substantially fit within cover 26 and to have contact with the inner wall of said cover. The said collar provides a vapor-proof joint with respect to the-wall of cover 26 for which purpose the collar is suitably secured as by welding or soldering to the cover.

In operation of the present cleaning device the chambers Il and are partly filled with a cleaning liquid such as oil and as a result the assemblies 33 are immersed. The function of an outside chamber enclosing an inside chamber with the level of the cleaning liquid being coincident in both, is to compel the incoming air to percolate from the outside chamber to the inside chamber through the liquid under conditions in which the device may be tilted as much as forty degrees in any direction from its vertical position. Thus with the inner chamber 25 sealed at all times with respect to the outer peripheral chamber l1, it is necessary for the air to bubble through the liquid and said bubbles are directed by and caused to contact the vanes of the assemblies identified by numeral 33. In so contacting the vanes the air bubbles are shattered and the gas is more completely atomized to make possible the most intimate contact with the liquid and a thorough washing of the gas, The action of the Vanes is also to impart a positive centrifugal motion to the gas bubbles during their flow through the liquid in an upward direction in chamber 25. The gases thus escaping from the surface of the liquid in chamber 25 have a whirling motion and while in this condition they are caused to contact the spinner or agitator comprising the vane assembly 45. This whirling action of the gases will accentuate the spinning of the vane assembly 45 which imparts to the gas a controlled turbulent effect, forcing the gases radially outward toward the walls of member 24 and cover 26. Any liquid entrained with the cleaned gases is separated therefrom by centrifugal force so that a relatively dry gas of superior cleanliness is delivered to cover 26 and which may be removed from the device through conduit 39. The collar 50 acts as a deecting member with respect to any liquid particles which may be caused to strike the same as a result of the spinning of the agitator. These liquid particles will agglomerate and a flow of such liquid will take place on the walls of member 24 in a downward direction, as a result of which the liquid eventually joins the reservoir within chamber 25.

The reduced atmospheric pressure required to draw the air through openings I8 and through the cleaning liquid is supplied by the suction of any type of internal combustion engine with which the present cleansing device may be associated. For example, for cleaning air before carburetting the same, the present cleaning device will have connection in advance of the carburetor and as a result of the suction produced by the engine, air will be drawn through the cleaning device, which action automatically produces the desired spinning of the agitator.

While the preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings and is characterized by the particular type of vane structure as described, nevertheless, it is to be understood that this particular form has been selected as being the most 6 applicable commercially and from the standpoint of cheapness in construction, yet improved results may be secured by making each of theA vanes in such manner as to provide a compound curved fluid directing surface. Such alternate structure is contemplated by the invention.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cleaning device for gases and the like, in combination, a, receptacle, a cylindrical member positioned within the receptacle in spaced relation with the side Wall and bottom thereof, said cylindrical member providing a central chamber having connecting relation adjacent the bottom of the receptacle with an outer peripheral chamber formed thereby, a liquid adapted to be retained by said receptacle and which maintains the central chamber separated from the outer peripheral chamber, a supporting post supported by the receptacle and extending vertically in the central chamber, a plurality of vane assemblies fixedly supported by said post within the central chamber and positioned to be partly immersed by said liquid, another vane assembly mounted by the post for rotation and located within the central chamber and above 'the liquid level, said last mentioned vane assembly comprising an agitator for agitating the liquid cleaned gases to remove entrained liquid, said vane assemblies each comprising a plurality of vanes extending radiallyvfrom the post, and the vanes of said assemblies each having two fluid directing surfaces angularly disposed with respect to each other and which are inclined radially and axially.

2. A cleaning device for gases and the like as defined by claim l, additionally including an annular collar positioned above the agitator, and wherein the vanes of the xed assemblies overlap each other to a substantial extent to form tortuous channel-like passages between vanes, whereby to direct the ilow of gases caused to bubble through the liquid.

KONRAD F. SCHREIER. BEN BARTOLUCCI.

REFERENCES orrED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,735,479 Sturtevant Nov. 12, 1929 2,309,838 Fitch Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,841 Australia May 14, 1926 683,986 France Mar. 10, 1930 324,656 Great Britain Jan. 30, 1930 513,440 Great Britain Oct. 12, 1939 

